Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent)
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194. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of primary school children receiving resource hours assistance in schools in County Tipperary; the number of applications that have been received by her Department for resource hours and extra supports by schools in County Tipperary; the number of these that have been approved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32701/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that there are now more Resource Teachers available for allocation than ever before.

As part of Budget 2015, I announced provision for an additional 480 Resource Teaching posts, to take into account increased demand and demographic growth and to ensure that children can continue to have access to additional supports in school.

The total number of posts available for allocation has increased by 27% since 2012, from 5265 posts in 2012, to 6705 posts available for 2015/16. This is the highest level of resource teaching provision that we have ever had.

Details of the resource teaching allocations which will be made to each school for September 2015 have been published on a per County basis by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) on its website www.ncse.ie.

The NCSE will also have a second round allocation process to respond to late enrolments, or from diagnosed disabilities emerging after the closing date for the first allocation round, to the start of the new school year.

As the processing of applications is an operational matter for the NCSE, I will arrange to have this element of the Deputy's question referred to the NCSE for their consideration and direct reply to the Deputy.

Finally, I wish to advise the Deputy that the NCSE has recommended the development of a new model for delivering teaching resources to schools to support students with special needs.

Through consultations, there has been broad welcome for the proposed new model from Parents, disability groups, schools and stakeholders. However, there has not been sufficient time to address all of the concerns which have been raised regarding the proposed model in advance of the 2015 school year.

A pilot of the new model, as recommended by the NCSE, will take place in schools in the 2015/16 school year.